The Sybil effect.
In the hours and days after the Sybil had died the people of Downton village rallies round the family and the family are shocked at the influence their youngest daughter had in such a short time.
Mrs Everrad at the Grocers heard first. Her son worked for the local undertakers and had been called into work in the early hours of the morning, The Young lady Sybil had succumbed to childbirth, Mrs Everrad cried into her lace handkerchief whilst drinking a cup of tea by the hot stove in the back kitchen.
Thinking of the young lady she smiled as she looked at her Jams and Condiments she'd finished labelling, Lady Sybil had been enamoured by the Jam when she first started coming to the village as a young child. Was it really only two years ago that Lady Sybil had read over the Everrad business plan to expand the Jams and Condiments and sell them further a field? That day the young lady sat just across from where Mrs Everrad sat now, still in her uniform drinking from HER best tea cup and smiling as she made kind suggestions and offered her 10 Shillings from her own purse to expand the business.
They paid Lady Sybil the money back last year when the Grocers in York started buying in large quantities, they now made a second decent income along with the Grocers shop.
Lady Sybil wrote to them frequently with suggestions and even ordered Jam to be sent to her in Ireland for a Christmas treat for herself and Mr Branson.
Sniffing more into her handkerchief Mrs Everrad stood up and packed the collection of Jams into a basket and wrote a letter explaining the gift and her deep condolences to the Big House. Mrs Everrad dressed in her black dress and bonnet and put her shoes on giving her husband a kiss on the cheek whilst he was serving a customer and she walked up to the Big house.
Mr Dawes, the Headmaster and teachers of the senior class at Downton School heard of Lady Sybil's death when stopped for tobacco for his pipe from the Tobacconist . He'd only seen her two weeks ago, he thought as he stuffed his pipe whilst watching the children in the playground. She'd come round asking if after the baby had been born he'd like some help as a school nurse and head lice inspector, she had heard he was wanting one in the new school year and he looked forward to having her come on board. She was such a bright person, even in the short time she'd been in the school she'd entranced the children with her laughter and smile, cheering up and bandaging up the Stebbins boy who had gone head first into the water trough and split his eyebrows. A great shame the young lady died. At that moment Stebbins cried out 'sir 'me arms stuck sir' Mr Dawes gave a great sigh, after the day had finished he'll write a letter and send it up to the big house he thought to himself as he walked over to Stebbins who had indeed got his arm stuck in the railings.
Mrs Sarah Lucas sobbed when she saw the Herse ride past her kitchen garden on the way to the Big house. Poor young Lady Sybil's. Sarah Lucas remembered the happy young girl riding her pony past, hair flying in the wind laughing as her pony galloped along. On one such day Sarah had been heavily pregnant and had fallen in the garden her ankle badly twisted, Lady Sybil had only been 14, but had seen her fall, and pulled up her horse, dismounted and came to her aid. Helping her back into the house, made a cold compress and a strong tea. She then rode into town and summoned the doctor bringing him back and insisted that he gave a thorough check to ensure the baby and mother were well. Afterwards she sat and talked to Sarah until her husband had come home.
When Sarah had her baby two months later, Lady Sybil's had been amongst the first visitors bringing a beautifully embroidered hand embroidered crib quilt. It was amongst Sarah's most prized possessions and had held both her babies. Sarah's eyes wondered over to the baby quilt she had made for Lady Sybil's baby and fresh tears streamed down her face. She sat down and wrote out the story to paper, giving her deepest condolences. She wrapped the babies quilt up and put her letter in the envelope and made her way to the big house. Dreading seeing Mr Carson.
Miss Swan smiled wanly as she packed boxes of black ladies dresses and hats to go to Downton Abbey. How was it in this day and age were women still dying in Child birth? She wondered to herself. Lady Sybil, such a character she thought, she remembered with fondness the scandal over the Haram Pants dress she'd made for the young Lady during her first Season. She still had a section of the fine satin in her sketchbook with the drawing. Lady Sybil had given Miss Swan a breath of fresh air after two decades of making dresses and hats. She had been a lady of substance, Lady Sybil may not have had an education like she herself had, but without a doubt she was the brightest of the Crawley girls make no mistake. Miss swan sighed and found one of the feather that had been in Lady Sybil's Haram pants head dress, she smiled and included it in her condolences to The Crawley's.
Mr Dawes and Mr Drake both chewed on a piece of grass they were leaning against the fence whilst watching The Downton Abbey Servants putting up black drapes at the large windows of the Abbey, they'd seen the Herse depart carrying the young lady. 'eh she were a kind un that lady Sybil." Mr Dawes said "ye know she went and brought me medicines to meh when I was down with that illness back in '16, afterwards she sat on the floor with our joe and played bricks with him whilst Claire were making tea, she would have been a good ma." He said quietly
Mr Drake nodded 'part from Lady Edith is a good lass too, don't know Lady Mary as much but ya right, the Crawley Girls are good ones."
In the deep depths of the Servants Hall, Mrs Hughes and Anna were overwhelmed, all morning cards, letters, baskets, flowers and candles had been arriving from the villager's, the whole shoe room had to be turned over to the tributes. "We have to tell them Mrs Hughes. This is threatening to spill over." Anna said as she viewed everything around them as they groaned hearing the back bell go again. "Aye Anna, you're right but how are we going to explain it all to the family? They probably wouldn't know." Mrs Hughes replied as she brought back another bouquet and a letter sent up by his apprentice master.
"how she kept so much from them is a mystery to me, Gwen I can gather, but this...this is incredible." Anna choked out a laughing sob.
"I will go get Mr Carson and ask for his opinion on the situation." Mrs Hughes said as she walked across to the Butlers Pantry.
Knocking on the door Mrs Hughes put her head in "Mr Carson, Anna and I have a issues we'd appreciate your help with." Mrs Hughes said looking at the Butler who'd been slumped at his desk staring at a photograph. Mrs Hughes sighed and closed the door behind her, then walked over and behind his Desk looking at the photograph he was staring at. She saw a laughing Sybil with the ever stern looking Mr Carson 'She dragged me to the Photographer during her coming out ball, said she wanted a photograph with all the important people in her life." Mr Carson growled out "why didn't I smile? She smiled."
"Oh Charlie." she rubbed his shoulder "she wanted you for you in that photograph." Mr Carson looked up in surprise and nodded putting the framed photograph back in the draw.
"What can I do for you Mrs Hughes?" Mr Carson said back behind his butler persona.
Mrs Hughes smiled a sad smile, 'we are having problems with all the floral tributes, gifts, flowers and letters that have been left this morning.'
'what do you mean? I haven't heard the front door bell?' Mr Carson said in a panic, 'Not the front door, the back, these are just from the Village, come see."
Mr Carson got up from behind the desk and walked out of his Pantry only to bump into Anna who had another bouquet in her hands but instead of taking it into the boot room, she had turned and placed them in the Servants Hall.
'Well that's bouquet number 30, plus three children have given their Sweets, and Farmer Dawes has given us a bunch of Large Rosemary and Thyme for the death room." Anna said obviously thinking she'd simply bumped into Mrs Hughes.
Mr Carson just gaped at the chaos that what two hours ago had simply been a shoe room, now smelt like a botanical garden.
"What should we do? ordinarily this wouldn't happen. People usually just bow their head at the coffin on the day of the funeral. We've never had this." Mrs Hughes said to Mr Carson.
"We've also had over 50 letters for his Lord and Ladyship, I'm told by the Dower house the elderly have left letters and flowers there as they can't reach the Abbey." Mr Carson Paled and then thought of the Dowager, remembering how shaken she'd been.
'we best get on with telling them." He said quietly, Mrs Hughes nodded then looked at the clock noticing it was Lunchtime.